


never made it as a wise man

by acidquill



Category: NCIS
Genre: Episode Related, Episode: s07e12 Flesh and Blood, Father-Son Relationship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-26
Updated: 2013-06-26
Packaged: 2017-12-16 07:00:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/859225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/acidquill/pseuds/acidquill
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony forgets sometimes that Gibbs can see him fine.</p>
            </blockquote>





	never made it as a wise man

**Author's Note:**

> tag for 'Flesh and Blood.' I have a thing for Dinozzo and daddy!issues. title borrowed (yes, really) from Nickelback. originally written Jun 22 2010.

Tony’s never been good at being ignored.  
  
Hell, he’s spent most of his life making _sure_ people notice him. He knows how childish that makes him sound. Makes him act.  
  
McGee and Ziva think Senior showing up is gonna give them some free preview of how Tony got his ass handed to him growing up. Truth is, he can count the times his father hit him on two hands, with more than a couple fingers left over. Senior wasn’t big on physical discipline. Tony always figured it was because it made him feel cheap, ‘lower class.’ Something Senior would not tolerate.  
  
But then, his dad was the kind that could cut your legs out from under you with a few words. Senior didn’t need to resort to using his hand; his mouth worked well enough.  
  
That was the problem. Senior left marks that didn’t show – or more often, didn’t leave marks at all. It was just as easy to look over Tony as to _waste time_ giving him a lecture, or acknowledging he was there at all. When he was a kid, Tony would’ve rather have his dad’s belt on his ass any day, than to face the reality of Senior forgetting him. Again.  
  
Tony’s gotten better at reigning himself in over the years, most of the time anyway. But Senior being here makes him feel about twelve years old again. Except this time he isn’t after Senior’s attention; he’s after Gibbs’.  
  
It shouldn’t be so easy for him to fall back on stuff he hasn’t pulled in _years_. Shit that even he wouldn’t tolerate, if his head was on straight. The hat-beating he gets is more than deserved, but Tony doesn’t mind. He straightens his shoulder rig, takes his coat. Pretends not to notice the way Ziva stares at him like he’s lost his mind.  
  
" _Sorry, Boss._ "  
  
He knows it’s not enough, but it’s all he’s got right now. Tony ducks his head and follows Gibbs out of the prince’s room. They haven’t hit the door yet when Gibbs reaches out and taps him on the back of the head. It’s not as hard as the Boss’ usual headslaps, just a reminder.  
  
Tony forgets sometimes that Gibbs can see him fine.


End file.
